Book Klub

The House That Race Built




Yea so...im reading this book right? And before i even get into to what this book is about, I think i am going to make literary recommendations a permanent part of my blog...maybe a once a month mini "book chat". not only would it hopefully provide some press for the book and the author, no I dont receive a profit, but it will probably provide incentive for me to read more then i already do, and maybe get the people who come across my postings to read more as well. But
yeah, anyway...I just started reading the book, its called "The House That Race Built", its comprised of a bunch of essays by prominent African-American scholars, such as the infamous Cornel West (more about him in another post), the great Angela Y. Davis, the compelling Toni Morrison and a sister by the name of Wahneema Lubiano, the Professor from Duke University
who molded the individual ideologies into one elaborate sculpture. The "house" that the title of the book is alluding to is a metaphor describing how we live in a world where race, racial matters and racial derivatives has been its foundation, and frame.So far the conflict in the first chapter, Toni Morrison's chapter, is how to convert a racist "house" into a non-racist, yet race specific "home", and if even we would really want that, because even with all the renovations and redecorating you can possibly do to give this "house" the feeling of a home, would you really want to get comfortable in a "house" where its foundation still supports what you've worked so hard to mask and alleviate? Prof. Lubiano and sister Morrison both allude to that fact to it would almost be science-fiction to try an imagine living an a place that is "race free". Race has been so deeply ingrained in our community and even our language, that race has been able to give Poverty and crime a face...a black face. People take language and try and manipulate it and decorate it to try and denounce race as individual ignorance, and inexcusable execptions in society. Toni Morrison suggests that if we must live in "The House That Race Built", instead of retreating to a corner in the "house", we should spread ourselves throughout the house, and
put as many windows & doors as we can in it. Like I said, I've only just begun to read this book, but its making its points loud and clear from the onset. I recommend this book, to people who are genuinely interested in purposed ideas of change for our people and our domicile by our people. The read is a little intimidating, these are world reknown scholars, you may have to read and reread a couple times but its totally worth it.